Frances Nisbet

Frances Nisbet was the first wife of the renowned British naval commander Admiral Horatio Nelson. She was a widow when she married Nelson in 1787 in Nevis, an island in the West Indies. Nelson had met her while on naval duty and took her young son, Josiah, to sea with him. Their marriage occurred during a period when Nelson was facing difficulties with the Admiralty and was on half pay.

Later in Nelson's life, he began a highly publicized affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, the wife of Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy to the Kingdom of Naples. This affair became a significant part of Nelson's personal life, even as he achieved major naval victories such as the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar, where he was killed in action. Frances Nisbet's role in Nelson's life is often overshadowed by his relationship with Emma Hamilton.12